1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a macro lens system suitable for use in a medium-format single lens reflex (SLR) camera by which photography can be performed from an infinite photographic distance to the proximity of a life-sized photographic distance.
2. Description of Related Art
In the related art, a macro lens system for use in a photographic camera, etc. is known. With such a macro lens system, photography can be carried out at a photographic magnification of at least 0.5:1 or more. In a macro lens system in which the lens group (focusing lens group) provided closest to the object is moved along the optical axis direction during a focusing operation, the traveling distance of the focusing lens group is generally long, and hence, since the drive torque is large when used in an auto-focus camera, there is a tendency for a high-speed autofocusing operation being difficult to achieve. In a photographic lens for use in a medium-format camera in particular, since the lens diameter is large and is the weight of the photographic lens is heavy, the burden on the drive system therefor is great, which is undesirable.
Internal-focusing macro lens systems have been proposed as solutions to the above described problem (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 2008-257200 and 2004-61680). In such internal focusing macro lens systems, during a focusing operation, the first lens group that is provided closest to the object remains at a fixed position with respect to the imaging plane, and a plurality of lens groups other than the first lens group are independently moved along the optical axis direction, and by providing a negative lens element at the most object-side of the entire optical system (i.e., the most object-side of the first lens group), a back focal distance sufficiently long for a 35 mm-film-format SLR camera can be obtained while the correcting of various aberrations which occur over a wide photographic range from an infinite photographic distance to the proximity of a life-sized photographic distance is arranged to be performed.
However, in order to use either of the macro lens systems disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 2008-257200 and 2004-61680 in an apparatus which requires a long back focal distance with respect to the focal length, e.g., in a medium-format SLR camera, etc., it is difficult to achieve a wide angle-of-view by only enlarging (scaling up) the lens system, which also causes an increase in the overall length of the macro lens system. In other words, if either of the macro lens systems disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 2008-257200 and 2004-61680 is scaled up to a size for use in a medium-format camera with the angle-of-view remaining unchanged, the back focal distance becomes insufficient, and if either of these macro lens systems is further scaled up to a size which can achieve a sufficient back focal distance, the focal length becomes long (and hence, the angle-of-view narrows).
In order to attain a long back focal distance with respect to the focal length, it is effective to provide a negative lens element at the most object-side of the optical system (macro lens system; i.e., the most object-side of the first lens group). However, if an attempt is made to increase the absolute value of the refractive power of the most object-side negative lens element in order to attain a longer back focal distance, various aberrations such as negative spherical aberration, negative distortion, and positive field curvature, etc., occur. Consequently, it tends to be difficult to correct the various aberrations over the entire macro lens system.